Mandrel construction for bias cutting machines



May 15, 1934. F. A. TURNER HANDREL CONSTRUCTION FOR BIAS CUTTING MACHINES Filed 001;. 12, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheat 1 INVENTOR [7%. Turner BY ATTORNEYS WITNESSES May 15, 1934. TURNER I 1,959,252

MANDREL CONSTRUCTION FOR BIAS CUTTING MACHINES Filed Oct. 12, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 68 68 W 69 69 k ZI 70 80 70- 1 76 B i I 74 l75r- 38 ,INVENTOR WITNESSES FJZ. Turnerflzyfl ATTORNEYS May 15, 1934.

F. A. TURNER MANDREL CONSTRUCTION FOR BIAS CUTTING MACHINES Filed Oct. 12, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR FJZ Turn er BY My WITNESSES ATTORN EY-S Patented May 15 1934 EF'FHE MANDREL CONSTRUCTION FOR BIAS CUTTING MACHINES 'Frederick A. Turner, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to H. M. Bunker & 00., Inc.,- New York, N. Y.,-

a corporation of New Application October 12,

8 Claims.

This invention relates to machines employed in the production of bias material, and has more particular reference to a mandrel construction for a bias machine for cutting a bias strip from a tubular material moved or fed thereover, said mandrel being in the nature of an improvement upon that disclosed in prior United States Letters Patent No. 1,581,051, granted April 13, 1926.

The present invention comprehends an im- 10 proved mandrel for a bias cutting machine, which mandrel is adjustable in size to render the machine capable of operating upon tubular materials or fabrics of varying diameters, and in which the effective portion of the mandrel which engages the material during and prior to the cutting operation, is defined by a plurality of swingingly mounted segments or sections having convex curved or arcuate outer surfaces which are swingable to and from a minimum diameter defining a V .20 circle, so as to conform substantially to the size of the material to be out.

More particularly, the invention resides in a mandrel of the indicated character, a plurality of swingingly mounted sections of which 'are fulcrmned at corresponding sides on axes extending longitudinally of the mandrel located within the confines of and disposed at circumferentially spaced points with respect to said mandrel, together with a common means located within the confines of the mandrel for effecting the swinging movement of the sections in unison.

The invention further embodies in a mandrel construction of the character set forth, feeding means for moving the material over the mandrel,

which feeding means is adjustable coincident with the mandrel sections.

Other objects of the invention reside in an improved mandrel construction of the type speciiied which is not unduly complicated, which may be economically produced and which is highly enicient in its purpose.

With the above recited and other objects in View, reference is had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which there is exhibited one example or embodiment of the invention, while the claims define the actual scope of the same.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a fragmentary diagrammatic perspective view of a bias cutting machine embodying a mandrel constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through the mandrel.

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken York 1931, Serial No. 568,435-

approximately on the line indicated at 33 in Figure 2.

Figure 1 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken approximately on the line indicated at 4:4 in Figure 2, and disclosing in full and dotted lines several positions of the mandrel sections.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, A designates generally the mandrel, which is supported from a base 13 and over which mandrel a tubular cloth, fabric or other material C is adapted to be fed and spirally cut to produce a bias strip. While the feeding means and cutting mechanism may be of any desired type, such as disclosed in the prior patent above referred to or as particularly illustrated in the present instance, the principal feature of the present invention resides in the mandrel construction and the manner in which the same is rendered expansible and contractible so that the machine will operate upon and cut tubular materials of various diameters.

As illustrated, the mandrel A includes a stationary, substantially frusto-conical upper end 10, a stationary, substantially cylindrical lower portion 11 and an intermediate diametrically adjustable portion 12. The latter portion 12 is made up of a plurality of sections 13,each of which is preferably of arcuate formation or so fashioned as to provide convex curved or arcuate outer surfaces 14 which combine to provide when adjusted to the minimum diameter of the mandrel, a substantially cylindrical configuration. The sections 13 are fulcrumed at adjacent corresponding side edges 15 on vertical axes 16 so that the opposite free side edges 17 may be moved outwardly from the innermost position defining the minimum diameter of the mandrel, to one or more expanded positions as indicated by the broken lines in Figure 4. The lower portion 11 includes a vertical tubular centrally disposed standard 20 which is supported from the base B by a spider bracket 21, and which standard carries and has secured to its upper end a head 22 formed with a depending slatted frame or guard 23 which forms a cage for preventing the cut fabric strips from becoming entangled in the mechanism, and which frame or guard is of approximately the same diameter as the minimum diameter of the intermediate adjustable portion 1201? the mandrel. The head 22 of the lower portion also supports in superposed relation to the intermediate section 12, a plate 24, to which the upper end 10 is attached, said plate being connected to and spaced from the head 22 by upwardly projecting supporting rods 25. The head 22 and plate 24 carry the shafts or axes 16 upon which the sections 13 of the intermediate mandrel portion 12 are fulcrumed.

Swinging movement may be imparted to the sections 13 in various ways, but for the purposes of illustration, this swinging movement is accomplished in the present disclosure by means of a rotatory shaft 30 which extends upwardly through the base B, the standard 20 and the head 22 and is journaled at its upper end in a bearing 31 in the plate 24 while also having a bearing 32 in the head 22. That portion of the shaft disposed within the intermediate mandrel portion 12 is provided with one or more sets of radial arms 33, the arms of each set corresponding in number to the number of sections 13. Each arm is connected at its outer free end by a pivot 34 with a link 35, and the opposite ends of the links are in turn pivoted as at 36 to the inner side of one of the mandrel sections 13, so that upon turning movement of the shaft 30 in opposite directions, the said sections 13 are swung inwardly and outwardly unison on their axes 16. The lower end of the rotatory shaft 30 extends through and has a bearing 37 in the base B, which base is of hollow construction and affords a housing space therein which accommodates the lower end of the shaft 30 and a worm pinion 38 secured to the lower end of the shaft. An actuator shaft 39 extends inwardly through the margin of the base and is equipped with a Worm which meshes with the worm pinion 38 for imparting turning motion to the rotatory shaft 30 from the exterior of the machine. Obviously, the actuator shaft 39 may be turned by any desired means, such as the sprocket and chain 41 and 42 and the sprocket 43 and manipulating wheel 44.

In order to take up any inequalities in the diameter of the tubing or to compensate for a slight difference between the adjusted diameter of the mandrel portion 12 and the tubular material moved thereover, each mandrel section 13 is provided with a tension bar which extends vertically thereof and is projected outwardly through a vertical slot 51 in the section 13, preferably at a point adjacent its free side edge 17. The tension bar is fulcrumed at its inner end as at 52 to the swingable arms 53 fulcrumed on the shafts or axes 16, and said bars are urged outwardly by leaf springs 54 which are anchored to the inner sides of the sections 13.

As previously set forth, the feeding and cutting of the tubular material C may be accomplished in any desired manner but as illustrated, the feeding mechanism in the present instance consists of pairs of inner driven feed rollers and 61 for each section 13 and outer idler pressure rollers 62 and 63 coacting respectively with the inner driven feed rollers 60 and 61. Each of the inner driven feed rollers 60 and 61 is mounted within and carried by its respective mandrel section 13, so that its periphery extends slightly beyond the outer surface 14 of the mandrel section to contact with the inner surface of the material C. Each feed roller 60 is connected by the miter gearing 64 with a drive shaft section 65 which is journaled to the inside of the mandrel section 13, and which drive shaft section is connected by a universal joint 66 to a depending drive shaft 67, the lower end of which is connected by a universal joint 68 to a stub shaft 69 journaled in a bracket '70 on the base B. The brackets 70 are circumferentially spaced concentrically around the spider bracket 21. A bevel gear 71 is concentrically mounted for free rotation on a vertical axis within the spider bracket 21 and meshes With a plurality of bevel pinions '72 which are secured to radial shafts 73 journaled in the spider bracket and the bracket '10. Each shaft '73 is in turn provided with a miter gear '74 meshing with a miter pinion 75 on the lower end of each stub shaft 69. Power is transmitted in any desired manner to one of the radial shafts '73 which extends outwardly beyond the periphery of the base B, such as by a pulley '76, whereby all of the driven feed rollers 60 are driven in unison. The universal joints 66 and 68 compensate for the relative inward and outward swinging movement of the rollers 66 with the respective mandrel sections or leaves 13. The inner driven feed rollers 61 may be driven from the feed rollers 60 in any desired manner, such as by the sprocket and chain connections 77. The feeding mechanism shown also includes, as previously stated, the idler pressure rollers 62 and 63 which are journalcd in the bracket arms 78 secured to vertical rods '79 for swinging movement therewith. The rods '79 are journaled in bearings 80 on the base and extend below the base and are further journaled at their upper ends in a connecting. and bracing ring 81. The lower ends of the rods 79 have secured thereto radial arms 82, with which coiled contractile springs 83 are connected for turning the rod '79 to urge the peripheries of the idler pressure rollers 62 and 63 into contact with the material which is thus gripped between the inner feed rollers 60 and 61 and the outer pressure rollers 62 and 63.

The cutting mechanism consists of a cutting wheel or disk knife 85 which is independently supported in any desired manner in juxtaposition to the mandrel and preferably between one set of feed rollers as disclosed in Figure 1 of the drawings, for the purpose of cutting the material at a 45 or other desirable angle as the material is fed longitudinally over the mandrel and rotated with respect thereto.

From the foregoing, it will thus be seen that a bias cutting machine has been devised, including an improved form of mandrel construction which is capable of a variation in diameter to coincide withtubular materials of varying diameters which are to be fed over and cut during their movement over the mandrel.

What is claimed is:

1. In a bias cutting machine, a mandrel over which a tubular material is adapted to be fed and spirally cutto provide a strip of bias material, said mandrel including a plurality of curved sectors each pivotally mounted at one end and adapted at their free ends to swing outwardly.

2. In a bias cutting machine, a mandrel over which a tubular material is adapted to be fed and spirally cut to provide a strip of bias material, said mandrel including a plurality of swingingly mounted sections each section fulcrumed at one end on axes extending longitudinally of the mandrel.

3. In a bias cutting machine, a mandrel over which a tubular material is adapted tobe fed and spirally cut to provide a strip of bias material, said mandrel including a plurality of swingingly mounted sections each section fulcrumed at one end on axes extending longitudinally of the mandrel, located Within the confines of the mandrel and disposed at circumferentially spaced points.

. 4. In a bias cutting machine, a mandrel over which a tubular material is adapted to be fed and spirally cut to provide a strip of bias material, said mandrel including a plurality of swingingly mounted sections each section fulcrumed at one end on axes extending longitudinally of the mandrel, located within the confines of the mandrel and disposed at circumferentially spaced points and a common means for swinging said mandrel sections in unison.

5. In a bias cutting machine, a mandrel over which a tubular material is adapted to be fed and spirally cut to provide a strip of bias material. said mandrel including a plurality of swingingly mounted sections each section fulcrumed at one end on axes extending longitudinally of the mandrel, located within the confines of the mandrel and disposed at circumferentially spaced points, a common means located within the confines of the mandrel for swinging the sections thereof in unison and means disposed exteriorly of said mandrel for manipulating said common mandrel swinging means.

6. In a bias cutting machine, a mandrel over which a tubular material is adapted to be fed and spirally cut to provide a strip of bias material, said mandrel including a plurality of swingingly mounted sections having convex arcuate outer surfaces swingable to and from a maximum diameter defining a circle so as to conform substantially to the size of the material to be cut and outwardly urged means carried by each mandrel section for engaging with the tubular material to compensate for variations in the diameter thereof.

'7. In a bias cutting machine, a mandrel over which a tubular material is adapted to be fed and spirally cut to provide a strip of bias material, said mandrel including a plurality of swingingly mounted sections fulcrumed on axes extending longitudinally of the mandrel, located within the confines of the mandrel and disposed at circumferentially spaced points and a common means located within the confines of the mandrel for swinging the sections thereof in unison, said means consisting of an axially extending rotatory shaft, a radially projecting arm for each mandrel section and a link connecting each arm with one of the mandrel sections.

8. In a bias cutting machine, a mandrel over which a tubular material is adapted to be fed and spirally cut to provide a strip of bias material, said mandrel including a circular series of arcuate sections each pivotally mounted at one end and free to swing outwardly at its other end, means for moving the sections simultaneously, and spring-urged devices carried by each section adjacent its free end and outwardly pressed to tension the material on the mandrel.

FREDERICK A. TURNER. 

